On 21 May 2026, Hub4Food participated in the Marine Resources Event held in Guingamp, France, an event dedicated to exploring how marine by-products can be transformed into valuable resources for agriculture and the agri-food sector. Organised by Anticipa and Valorial, the event brought together companies, researchers, technical centres, public authorities and innovation support organisations to discuss new opportunities for sustainable and circular value chains based on marine resources.

Against a backdrop of increasing pressure on natural resources and growing interest in circular economy solutions, the event provided a platform for knowledge exchange, networking and collaborative project development. Within this framework, Hub4Food contributed through two complementary activities that highlighted both the project’s dissemination efforts and its practical support services for innovation.

Showcasing Hub4Food at the European Projects Showroom

One of the highlights of Hub4Food’s participation was its presence at the European Projects Showroom, organized during the networking lunch session. Alongside other European initiatives (AquaFish, Biochains Atlantic, CIRCALGAE and Blue Bio Techpreneurs), focused on blue economy, sustainability and marine resource valorisation, Hub4Food was presented through a dedicated stand and a short pitch session delivered by Marina Diaz from Valorial.

The showroom offered an excellent opportunity to increase the visibility of the project among stakeholders from the marine and agri-food sectors. Participants were able to learn more about Hub4Food’s mission to strengthen the innovation capacity of agri-food SMEs by facilitating experimentation with new products and processes, as well as the support services available through the project.

The stand attracted significant interest throughout the event, generating numerous discussions with companies, researchers and innovation intermediaries interested in exploring future collaboration opportunities. Several participants approached Hub4Food specifically to obtain further information about the project and its services, confirming the relevance of Hub4Food’s offer for stakeholders seeking innovation support.

Fostering collaboration through a Project Germination Workshop

In the afternoon, Hub4Food moved from dissemination to action through the organisation of a collaborative Project Germination Workshop led by Valorial. This workshop was designed to stimulate the emergence of innovation ideas and encourage the development of future collaborative projects focused on the valorisation of marine by-products.

The workshop gathered 29 participants representing companies, research organisations, technical centres, support structures and public institutions. Working in thematic groups, participants explored opportunities linked to seaweed, shellfish by-products and other marine resources, combining scientific expertise, industrial needs and market perspectives.

Discussions quickly identified several common challenges facing the sector, including logistics, value chain structuring, economic viability and consumer acceptance of innovative products. At the same time, the collaborative sessions generated a range of promising project concepts and revealed new opportunities for cooperation.

Beyond idea generation, the workshop enabled participants to identify potential partners, technological needs and possible next steps for transforming early-stage concepts into future innovation projects.

Strong engagement from the marine innovation ecosystem

The event attracted a total of 155 registered participants, including 98 attendees on site and 57 online participants following the morning conference programme. This strong participation reflected the growing interest in sustainable approaches for the valorisation of marine co-products and by-products across agriculture, food, health and bio-based industries.

For Hub4Food, the combination of visibility activities through the showroom and hands-on innovation support through the Project Germination Workshop proved particularly effective. While the showroom increased awareness of the project and its services, the workshop demonstrated the practical value of Hub4Food’s collaborative innovation methodology and its capacity to bring together diverse stakeholders around emerging opportunities.

Looking ahead

Building on the ideas generated in Guingamp, continued follow-up with participants will help transform several of the identified concepts into structured collaborative initiatives.

Through both its visibility actions and its innovation support services, Hub4Food continues to strengthen collaboration across the European agri-food.